This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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Paternal Family Tree: Head of Throope in Wiltshire
On 19th December 1906 Antony Head 1st Viscount Head was born to [his father] Geoffrey Head [aged 34] and [his mother] Ethel Daisy Flower.
On 30th August 1926 Antony Head 1st Viscount Head [aged 19] was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars. he later joined the Lifeguards. serving through the Second World War and achieving the rank of brigadier.
On 23rd July 1935 Antony Head 1st Viscount Head [aged 28] and Dorothea Louise Ashley-Cooper Viscountess Head [aged 28] were married. She the daughter of Anthony Ashley-Cooper 9th Earl of Shaftesbury [aged 65] and Constance Grosvenor Countess of Shaftesbury [aged 59].
In 1937 [his son] Richard Antony Head 2nd Viscount Head was born to Antony Head 1st Viscount Head [aged 30] and [his wife] Dorothea Louise Ashley-Cooper Viscountess Head [aged 29].
The London Gazette 35020. War Office, 20th December, 1940. The King has been pleased to approve of the undermentioned awards in recognition of gallant conduct in action with the enemy:-
THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER.
Lieutenant (Temp. Major) PHILIP HARKER NEWMAN, F.R.C.S., Royal Army Medical Corps.
THE MILITARY CROSS.
Captain (Temp. Major) Antony Henry Head [aged 34], The Life Guards.
In 1945 Antony Head 1st Viscount Head [aged 38] was elected MP Carshalton.
From 1951 to 1956 Antony Head 1st Viscount Head [aged 44] served as Secretary of State for War from 1951 to 1956 and as Minister of Defence (with a seat in the cabinet) from 1956 to 1957.
On 22nd November 1955 [his father] Geoffrey Head [aged 83] died.
In 1960 Antony Head 1st Viscount Head [aged 53] was created 1st Viscount Head of Throope in Wiltshire. [his wife] Dorothea Louise Ashley-Cooper Viscountess Head [aged 52] by marriage Viscountess Head of Throope in Wiltshire.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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On 29th March 1983 Antony Head 1st Viscount Head [aged 76] died. His son Richard [aged 46] succeeded 2nd Viscount Head of Throope in Wiltshire.
In 1987 [his former wife] Dorothea Louise Ashley-Cooper Viscountess Head [aged 79] died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Jeremiah Head
GrandFather: Henry Head
Father: Geoffrey Head
GrandFather: Arthur Flower
Mother: Ethel Daisy Flower